Energy supply device

Abstract

An energy supply device that supplies energy to an object. In an embodiment, the energy supply device may include at least one processor, and a plurality of coils connected to a resonant condenser for energy supply and an inverter circuit. In an embodiment, the at least one processor may determine a first coil from among a plurality of coils as a transmission coil and determine a second coil from among the plurality of coils as a reception coil. Further, the at least one processor may transmit a detection signal to the first coil, obtain an induction signal induced in the second coil through a reception circuit connected to the second coil, and detect the object on the energy supply device based on the obtained induction signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An energy supply device comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a plurality of coils connected to a resonant condenser for supplying energy and an inverter circuit, and   wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 determine, among the plurality of coils, a first coil as a transmission coil; 
 determine, among the plurality of coils, a second coil as a reception coil; 
 transmit a detection signal to the first coil through a transmission circuit connected to the first coil; 
 obtain an induction signal induced in the second coil by the detection signal through a reception circuit connected to the second coil; 
 calculate a change rate for the second coil based on induction signal data for the second coil and reference data; and 
 detect an object on the energy supply device based on the change rate for the second coil and at least one threshold. 
   
     
     
         2 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to sequentially switch the plurality of coils and determine each of the plurality of coils as the transmission coil. 
     
     
         3 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to sequentially switch one or more coils located around the first coil determined as the transmission coil and determine each of the one or more coils as the reception coil. 
     
     
         4 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the induction signal data for the second coil comprises one or more induction signals obtained through the reception circuit connected to the second coil while the second coil is determined as the reception coil.   
     
     
         5 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 when the change rate for the second coil is less than or equal to a first threshold, determine that an object to be heated is present on the second coil;   when the change rate for the second coil is greater than the first threshold and is less than or equal to a second threshold, determine that a power supply object is present on the second coil;   when the change rate for the second coil is greater than the second threshold and is less than or equal to a third threshold, determine that a foreign substance is present on the second coil; and   when the change rate for the second coil is greater than the third threshold, determine that the object to be heated, the power supply object, and the foreign substance are not present on the second coil.   
     
     
         6 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine at least one of a type, a size, or a location of the object based on a detection result of the object for each of the plurality of coils. 
     
     
         7 . The energy supply device of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to supply the energy to the object through at least some of the plurality of coils based on the at least one of the type, the size, or the location of the object. 
     
     
         8 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one coil among the plurality of coils is connected to at least one of the transmission circuit or the reception circuit, and
 wherein the at least one of the transmission circuit or the reception circuit comprises a resonant condenser for detection connected in series to the resonant condenser for supplying the energy.   
     
     
         9 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein a detection circuit and the inverter circuit are switchably connected, by a switch, to at least one coil among the plurality of coils by a switch, and
 wherein the detection circuit comprises at least one of the transmission circuit or the reception circuit.   
     
     
         10 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one coil among the plurality of coils is always electrically connected to the inverter circuit. 
     
     
         11 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein coils included in a coil group are switchably connected, by a switch, to one transmission circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein coils included in a coil group are switchably connected, by a switch, to one reception circuit. 
     
     
         13 . The energy supply device of  claim 1 , wherein a frequency of alternating current voltage supplied from the inverter circuit to at least one coil among the plurality of coils is different from a frequency of the detection signal. 
     
     
         14 . The energy supply device of  claim 13 , wherein the frequency of the detection signal is higher than the frequency of the alternating current voltage by 10% or more, or is lower than the frequency of the alternating current voltage by 10% or more. 
     
     
         15 . A method of an energy supply device, the method comprising:
 determining, among a plurality of coils, a first coil as a transmission coil;   determining, among the plurality of coils, a second coil as a reception coil;   transmitting a detection signal to the first coil through a transmission circuit connected to the first coil;   obtaining an induction signal induced in the second coil by the detection signal through a reception circuit connected to the second coil;   calculating a change rate for the second coil based on induction signal data for the second coil and reference data; and   detecting an object on the energy supply device based on the change rate for the second coil and at least one threshold.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 sequentially switching the plurality of coils; and   determining each of the plurality of coils as the transmission coil.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 sequentially switching one or more coils located around the first coil determined as the transmission coil; and   determining each of the one or more coils as the reception coil.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the induction signal data for the second coil comprises one or more induction signals obtained through the reception circuit connected to the second coil while the second coil is determined as the reception coil.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the detecting of the object on the energy supply device comprises:
 when the change rate for the second coil is less than or equal to a first threshold, determining that an object to be heated is present on the second coil;   when the change rate for the second coil is greater than the first threshold and is less than or equal to a second threshold, determining that a power supply object is present on the second coil;   when the change rate for the second coil is greater than the second threshold and is less than or equal to a third threshold, determining that a foreign substance is present on the second coil; and   when the change rate for the second coil is greater than the third threshold, determining that the object to be heated, the power supply object, and the foreign substance are not present on the second coil.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising determining at least one of a type, a size, or a location of the object based on a detection result of the object for each of the plurality of coils.